A few weeks ago, I had an opportunity to attend a discharge ceremony of 84 ex-combatants who completed an orientation program offered by the Rwanda Demobilization and Reintegration Commission in Mutobo, Musanze. After this very short ceremony, I interacted with numerous ex-combatants, most of whom were active within the FDLR. They shared many stories—some sad, some grounding, and some very disturbing. ALSO READ: Over 90 ex-combatants to be discharged from Mutobo demob centre I remember one man in particular, named Peter. He used to be a “major” in FDLR. I asked him who he thought his enemy was during his almost 3 decades roaming in the DRC forests, and he gave me a very long answer. Towards the end, he said, “But even the people you are fighting with, you cannot trust them. Because at any given moment, they could kill you and steal your possessions”. Naturally, I asked what he meant by possessions, given that they were constantly on the move and thus unable to settle and acquire assets. His answer was, “clothes and rain boots,” with emphasis on the rain boots. This answer still shocks me to this day. In the DR Congo forests, people are getting killed for rain boots... in 2023. Up until that point, I was certain that even the poorest man in this region had bigger dreams than owning rain boots. Because that is the reality in this country of ours. We have moved on. Because we have a leadership that dared us to dream big, and achieve even bigger. We really have come so far! Enough with looking at the past. Let’s think about the future and let us dream a little. If someone asked you what you wanted to see in Rwanda in the next year or so, what would be your answer? I have been thinking about this question for a few days. Ahead of Move Afrika, Norrsken hosted a fashion popup. Different African brands from Kenya, Senegal, Nigeria, and, of course, Rwanda were present with their clothes, leather goods, and accessories. It was beautiful. By just looking at the first ten bronze mannequins stationed by the entrance, we were captivated, transported to another Africa. An Africa that is so rich, so beautiful, with skills, talent, creativity, and craftsmanship that exist only in our imagination and fantasy books. And yet there it was, in front of us. This is what I want for Rwanda in 2024. I want us to host the biggest fashion shows on the continent, with tens, hundreds of fashion brands, jewelry brands, leather, watches, shoes, everything so luxurious and so out there. I want big, I want luxury, I want African. I want this mainly for two reasons. The first one is selfish—because I love fashion, duh! The second one is because this would be a sign, a sign to the whole universe that the continent has gone beyond striving for survival and basic needs, and has reached a point of collectively thinking about luxury. Imagine talents and products from Ghana, Morocco, Botswana, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, Egypt, Mozambique, and so on—all in one city, in the heart of Africa. So, what was your answer? If it was to get Beyoncé to perform at Amahoro Stadium - it will soon be ready - we can even have her perform at that fashion show. Is this dream too big for a small country like Rwanda? That is a question for another day. Right now, we are just dreaming because we can afford to. Because we have bigger dreams than owning rain boots. Because Rwanda works, thanks to our collective efforts and constant search to do better and be better. 2024 is a big year for Rwanda. Let us dream about this year, the next 10, and the next 30. The writer is a social and political commentator based in Kigali.
